Guadagno says she takes Christie 'at his word' on Bridgegate

NEWARK -- Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno said Wednesday she believes Gov. Chris Christie when he says that he was not involved in the lane closings at the center of the Bridgegate scandal.

"I take him at his word," said Guadagno, who has been Christie's second-in-command for the last seven years and is now the front-runner for the Republican nomination to succeed him as governor.

The comments appear to be the first public remarks Guadagno has made about Christie and the scandal, which has engulfed his administration for more than three years.

Two of Christie's former allies -- ex-Port Authority official Bill Baroni and Christie's former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Ann Kelly -- were convicted for their roles in the September 2013 plot to close lanes at the George Washington Bridge and cause days of traffic issues in Fort Lee to punish the borough's mayor. A third, former Port Authority official David Wildstein, pleaded guilty.

Read more: http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/gudagno_says_she_takes_christie_at_his_word_on_bri.html